Upholstery support



Dec. 3, 1929. s. L. WARREN UPHOLSTERY SUPPORT Filed April 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZZZL s. L. WARREN 1,737,815

UPHOLSTERY SUPPORT Filed April 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec.- 3, I 929.

Patented Dec. 3, 1929 SIMON L. WARREN, F QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS UPI-IOLSTERY SUPPORT Application filed April 25,

This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of upholstered furniture and particularly to that type in which a series of interwoven strips of webbing are stretched across a wooden frame and provide a somewhat yieldable support for a series of spiral springs, which are mounted thereon, and in turn provide a yieldable support for the seat or back of a chair, or other article of furniture.

of which the frame is formed, and, in most instances, the surfaces to which the webbing is thus attached are disposed approximately in the plane in which the webbing is stretched, at the under side of the frame, al-

though in some instances, or at some points,

it is necessary to attach the webbing to the inner side of the frame. In the instances in which the webbing is attached to the under edge of the frame, the downward thrust of the springs which are supported on the web bing not only causes a strain on the attaching nails of the webbing which is transversely thereof, but also causes a downward pull thereon which tends to pull out the nails from 0 the wood or tends to pull the webbing obliquely downward, so that the heads of the nails are likely to cut the strands of the webbing, or so that there is a tendency to pull the webbing over the heads thereof. If the webbing is nailed to the inner sides of the frame, the tendency to pull out the nails, or for their heads to cut the webbing, so that it will be pulled therefrom, is even greater than with the other construction. In consequence the disconnection of the webbing from the frame to which it is attached after a period of use is likely to occur, and repair involves considerable expense.

Prior to my invention this difliculty has been in some degree obviated by providing supporting means, which was attached to the inner side of the frame and engaged with the under side of the webbing close to the frame in a manner to cause an upward pull on the webbing at the inner side of the frame, so as 1928. Serial No. 272,708.

to draw it above the bottom edge of the frame to which it usually is secured by tacks, so-that a portion of the pull on the tacks was relieved, and all the pull thereon was at right angles thereto. This means, while effective in principle, so far as I am aware, has not, prior to my invention, been developed to a point which makes it practical of application in the manufacture of upholstered furniture for several reasons, principally because of the difficulty of application under most conditions and the practical impossibility of its application to all the webbing strips of an article of furniture, under many, if not all conditions, so that the strips which are not thus reinforced are liable to become disconnected from the frame.

The objects of my invention are to provide a means for reinforcing the means ordinarily employed in connecting the webbing strips to the frame, which may be applied to upholstery constructions of the type above referred to, so that it will support all the I strips which are connected to the bottom surface of the frame, above said surface and may be applied without increase in expense, as compared with the cost of application of prior devices for the purpose.

Also to provide means for the above purpose which is adaptable to practically all of the various different conditions of construc tion which are likely to be encountered, and which will also'permit the strips of webbing to be placed in as close proximity as may be desired,

I accomplish these objects by providing a frame of stiff wire which is fitted interiorly to the upholstery frame to which the webbing strips are attached, and by sustaining the wire frame by means of a series of clips which are adapted to be readily applied thereto at any point and to pass between the strips even though they may be held in close proximity, so that the wire frame may be forced up against all the strips until they are drawn above the bottom of the upholstery frame apd may be sustained in this position by the 0 use.

For a more complete description of my invention, reference is now made to the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 2, are, respectively, top and bottom plan views of a chair bottom frame provided with an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View at line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig; 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the inner side of the frame.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of another portion thereof.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of another frame portion.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view at line 7 -7 of Fig. 6.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views illustrating modifications in adapting'the invention to different conditions.

In 'upholstering furniture, as for example, the seat of a chair, one of the first operations performed "on the seat frame is to provide the same with a support or bottom which consists of a series of interwoven strips of webbing which are attached to the frame and provide a support for the spiral springs which directly support the seat, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, in which a rectangular shaped frame 10 is shown as provided with a double series of interwoven webbing strips 11 and 12, which, in all instances in which the construction permits, are attached at each end to the bottom edge of the frame by nails 13, the end portions of the strips preferably being doubled back on the under sides thereof, so that they extend back beyond the inner side of the frame for a short distance, for reasons to be explained. The webbing strips are drawn as taut as possible when attached, so that, when the attaching operation has been finished, the strips may all be practically in the planeof the bottom edge of the frame.

According to my invention I provide a stiff wire or rod 15, which is bent to conform to the inner surface of the frame 10 and extended entirely about the interior thereof,

. adapted to receive the wire or rod 15, the

shank portion thereof having a nail or screw hole therein to permit the same to be readily attached to the frame 10.

The webbing strips having been attached to to the frame 10 in the manner already described, the rod 15 is fitted to said frame, so that it will extend entirely about the same at a short distance from its inner side, the ends of the rod being terminated in close proximity, preferably in one corner, so that acom plete inner frame is formed.

Whilethe manner in which the rod or wire frame thus provided is placed in position may be varied, the following is considered to be particularly advantageous. After it has been fitted to the frame 10, as above described, and placed in position against the bottom side of the webbing strips, the shank portion of the clips 16 are placed bet-ween the strips against the inner side of frame 10, with the hooks thereof engaged with the wire frame and then the upholstery frame is pressed down on a flat support which engages the webbing and wire frame 15 close to the inner bottom edge of theframe 10, so that the strips are drawn upward about the inner l'ower corner of the latter, as the wlre frame is pressed up against them, and, while thus held, the clips are secured by driving a nail therethru into the frame 10, so that the frame 15 will be supported in this position, as shown in '3 and 4.

This operation is repeated at each inner side of the frame 10, the clips being placed in position on the wire where necessary, so that the entire wire frame is held firmly against all the strips and all the strips are drawn upward against the inner lowercorner of the frame 10. In case the corners of the frame 10 are provided with braces, the clips may usually be passed up behind the braces and engaged with the wire frame, so that the latter will be supported at such points. The work of placing the webbing support in position may thus be rapidly performed.

As thus arranged, the longitudinal tension which is placed on the webbing will, to asubstantial extent, be resisted by the frame 15 and absorbed by the clips 16, the rest being resisted by the nails which attach the strip to the frame 10, the action thereon being directly at right angles thereto, so that all the difliculties before referred to due, to the down ward force on the strips, will be prevented. Any action tending to cause the frame 15 to wear the webbing at its points of engagement therewith is fully prevented by the doubled back end portions, which are interposed between the frame 15 and each strip as it passes thereover.

In many chair constructions the legs are attached to the corners in such positions thatthe webbing cannot be nailed to the bottom edge of the frame 10 and must be secured-to the inner side thereof. Under such conditions, the frame 15 will be extendedover the end portion of the webbing, instead of beneath it, and will be pressed down and held "down by suitable brackets 18, as shown in Fig. 5, the form of bracket shown having an eye in its end to resist the upward thrust. Under these conditions also the strip is deflected rightangularly, adjacent its attaching nails, so that the strain on the latter will be wholly perpendicular thereto.

Under some conditions the upholstery frame is formed with outwardly curved portions and inwardly extending bottom portions, which prevent employment of brackets of the type shown in Fig.4. In such instances a bracket 20 may be employed having a horizontally extending portion in the end of which the rod receiving hook is formed,as shown in Fi 8.

(The clips 16 may also be employed to assist the holding in position of coil springs 22 which are mounted on the webbing and are .1

also located close to the upholstery frame by placing the bottom coil of the spring in the hook thereof, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and where the springs are not located closely adjacent the frame a special form of clip 24, may be employed having a horizontally extending portion in which a second hook is formed for engaging the coil, as shown in Fig. 9.

With the above described construction the means for deflecting the webbing adjacent the points at which it is secured, so as to prevent a strain on the attaching nails in an oblique direction, may be readily applied, so that the added expense for labor and fixtures is small as compared with the advantages in durability which are secured.

The above described means for securing these results are also readily adaptable to practically all conditions where a webbing upholstery support is employed. The strips may be located in as close proximity as may be desired, as the clips which support the strip-supporting frame 15 take up but little space transversely and may be located practically wherever. desired.

I claim:

In combination with an upholstery frame having a bottom face, a series of webbing strips extending in spaced relation between opposite portions of said bottom face, fasteners extending thru the end portions of said strips and into the frame to hold the strips against said face, a series of clips attached to the frame in positions to depend between the adjacent edges of the strips and having upturned lower ends forming hooks, and a closed, strip-supporting frame extending transversely beneath said strips, and within said upholstery frame and slidably supported within the upturned ends of said clips, whereby the said strip-supporting frame may be quickly applied and the strips will be pressed upwardly against the bottom of the upholstery frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

SIMON L. WARREN. 

